A dialysis system is used as a substitute for the natural kidney function of a human body. The dialysis system cleans the blood of the natural accumulation of bodily wastes by separating the wastes from the blood in an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus. The separated wastes are discharged and the cleansed blood is returned to the body.
The dialysis system includes a blood tubing set, a dialysate tubing set, a dialysate fluid, and a dialyzer where the processing of blood takes place. Typically, a dialyzer includes a semi-permeable membrane located within a closed housing which effectively separates the housing into a blood compartment and a dialysate compartment. The blood removed from the patient flows through the blood circuit and enters the blood side of the dialyzer. The dialysate solution is passed through the dialysate side of the dialyzer. The waste from the blood passes through the membrane into the dialysate fluid.